Team Kakashi: The Legacy
by PakiNoor
Summary: The story of the shinobi that put the Sannin and the greatest sages to shame


_**Its come to my attention that I need to update a little more. While I recover from writer's block, heres something for your entertainment. This is something I started ages ago. Some of you may recognize it. I'm restarting it to get my creative juices to worry, my other fic is still being worked on. Now that exams are over, I'll be sure to update even more. **_

_**Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are the intellectual property of Kishimoto Sama. This fic and the OCs however, are mine.**_

_**TKTL: TEAM KAKASHI THE LEGACY:**_

_**Chapter 1: Harvest of the barren fields**_

Kakashi Hatake. Jounin sensei at 26. Team leader at 28. The only person to achieve the position of ANBU captain at the age of 13. The son of the white fang. Former student of the yondaime hokage. The most trusted of all the Konoha ninjas. The most revered, most awe-inspiring. A legend. A mystery. There were many names for him: copy ninja, sharingan Kakashi, baka-sensei, old man, and kaka-sensei.

When people looked at him they saw a leader, perhaps even a future hokage. Yet those who knew him best knew how he hated power. How he believed he was not to be trusted with it. For hadn't it been on his watch, under his command, that Obito Uchiha lost his life? Hadn't it been under his watch that the last of the Uchiha had flown? Hadn't it been under his watch that Rin had lost her life? Therefore, while the world acknowledged him as a reclusive hero, those who knew him best gave the subject a wide berth.

When he walked down the street with his nose buried in that trademark orange book, some onlookers would wrinkle their noses in disgust, while others would roll their eyes and smile indulgently. They would wait for their rosette hime to attack him with a merciless cry of "hentai!" then proceed to drag him to the hospital for the bimonthly physical he had been putting of for the past few months. Many would gape at her open brashness and several visitors would be amazed when the thus approached hentai would trudge along mournfully after a session of half-hearted pleading, threatening and whimpers of "Sakura Chan!"

Or it might be the orange clad, number one unpredictable ninja of the land of fire (accompanied by the smiling artist and their amused second in command),who would grab our favourite recluse, and proceed to drag him to the ramen bar where he would order bowl after bowl of konoha's favourite stew and proceed to answer aforementioned recluse's inquiries regarding kage-training. Whichever one of his former students appeared, Kakashi would be willing and happy- if not quick-to accommodate them.

When he collected his former charges and current team mates for their weekly sparing sessions, visiting dignitaries and civilians would exclaim over his sense of duty. Only the privileged few, such as the Konoha 13, the sand siblings, the red genjutsu expert and the green beast of Konoha would remain silent. For they were the only ones who knew that it wasn't sense of duty, but guilt, ties of family and genuine love and loyalty, that tied the leader of team Kakashi to it's members.

For wasn't it Kakashi, who forsook his remaining genin students in favour of the now nuke-nin, sasuke Uchiha?

Wasn't it Kakashi who, after his prize pupil's defection, willingly ran away from his duties to the remaining two? Wasn't it Kakashi, who had given up on his sole female student and had tossed her to a side? He had given them up, but they had refused to accept it, training, working, improving, until they had proven themselves to everyone who saw them. After the famed battle against Akatsuki, they had grouped around him, refusing to let him go a third time. They had stuck with him then as they did now. And so he had relented if not completely reformed, and had stuck with them ever since. Even now, team Kakashi never failed to amaze even the most hardened shinobi veterans with their team dynamics, their efficiency and loyalty. And so, while unknowing onlookers whispered and stared, the privileged few watched and smiled, and sometimes, when invited, even joined in the antics of team Kakashi.

When the busy bodies and gossip mongers and widows saw him with his friends at the bar, or the ramen stand, or in the park, they were bound to whisper and scowl and tsk, with their noses in the air. Indeed the sight of the famed copy ninja/ icha icha fanatic with konoha's favourite daughters and sons surrounding him was not such an offensive one, not for the shinobi and veteran civilians of the famed village at least, so it was hard to see what the stiff necks of the village had found fault with.

Perhaps it was the sight of konoha's green beast challenging him in a loud voice while the others laughed, egging them on, and tossed the squealing and giggling granddaughter of the sandaime back and forth over the table at the bar.

Or was it the sight of him with his head in the lap of his only female student, one hand occupied with amusing his old friends' daughter with a doll dangling from chakra strings, the other holding his book in the air as they all sat under their favourite tree at the park . He would be busy retorting to his orange clad surrogate son's comments while defending himself and his three charges against the ink kittens and wooden marionettes that his remaining subordinates and the older male of the sand siblings would be sending their way.

The aforementioned student would be busy soothing his migraine with one hand while demonstrating several healing procedures to her lilac eyed apprentice and said apprentice's sister.

While the son would have his own head in the aforementioned sister's lap, now and then exchanging smiles with the shy heiress and jokes and notes with her, her cousin and his fiancé, and at times, her father.

The remaining members of their inner circle would be either grouped around them intent in their own activities; only pausing to add a comment or joke of their own, or would be on missions, or attending to their own duties, or would be joining in whole heartedly in their bantering. It was at such times that one got to see an open display of a completely different side of konoha's greatest warrior. The eye crinkles, droll comments and silent surveys were all replaced by laughs, frequent teasing of his honorary niece (for her training he would sheepishly tell her mother and his students), and a joking nature. Only the veterans of Konoha knew that this was the result of the war against the Akatsuki, that it was his now present fear of once again wasting time that could be spent with those near to him that made him behave so. This display of affection would not have been if, during the recent war, he had not come so close to once again losing his dear ones without letting them know of his feelings for them. The civilian and shinobi veterans of Konoha knew this, as did his inner circle. Hence, while the rumourmongers gossiped and turned up their noses, those with the knowledge remained silent and accepted his rare and small displays of affection and gratitude, loyalty and love.

When the strict patriarch of the Hyuga clan was seen joking with the copy-nin and his inner circle, the rumour mongers could not believe their eyes. And when he actually accompanied them on their excursions, and was heard comparing different icha icha titles and ideas with said nin, the toad sages apprentice and the smiling artist, even the council of elders was left waiting for an impending announcement of the patriarch's insanity. But those who knew the truth realized that the two revered ninjas had more in common then could be imagined. They had both lost loved ones due to their own ignorance, both were misunderstood individuals. So why shouldn't lord Hyuga find a friend in his former comrades' children and their friends? And why shouldn't the dearest of said friends or as the strict Hyuga would mention them as "dear acquaintances" be the legendry copy ninja?

The civilians could not be expected to understand his recently modified behaviour, therefore it intrigued them. They could not be expected to accept and let go of their idol's behaviour modification. This was a mystery, one that they could not solve and dared not question. Therefore they made up their own theories.

"_Well dear, Minato Sama did train him; I suppose he's just repaying the favour with the boy. Yes I suppose we must accept that jinchuriki as minato Sama's son now that the council has released his birth certificate. Besides, Kakashi san is only human, and you know he may be sucking up , where else would he get those horrid books of his now that the boy's godfather has passed away…."_

"_Oh that Sai boy. A queer one. Have you seen that smile of his? So uncomfortable! Well dear, you know what they say…birds of a feather…"_

"_Yes… that ANBU captain, his former subordinate you know. Horrible childhood I've heard… well dear… they do have that in common… yes "weird" as my teenager puts it…"_

"_Oh that sakura, yes! I do like her! Poor thing stuck with all those horrid men… no wonder she has such a temper…"_

"_Yeah..! Guess they had to put all the freaks together…."_

Perhaps what unnerved them the most was not his behaviour towards his niece, or his surrogate sons and heart's brother, or the other members of his inner circle, but his current relationship with his only female student. It was not hard for others to see how he took care of her after her parents deaths; even more so than her other friends, how he would wait for her shifts at the hospital to end so he could see her home, how he had gently held, reprimanded and guided her after her mentor's demise, how she was the only one who could talk him into going to the hospital when it was time for is bimonthly checkups, how it was her house he went to after returning home, tired and injured from his solo missions, how he joined the other males of their inner circle in scaring away any male who dared approach her, how he was the one who she ran to when her date stood her up, how he had comforted her; and then proceeded to gather all of their inner circle and made the unfortunate male's life a misery. Even for this, the gossip mongers had their theories. But despite their attempts to defame these two most revered heroes, several things became painfully obvious:

That Sakura Haruno was indeed over her former Uchiha heart throb.

That she was dangerously in love with her team leader, and that he had no idea.

That Kakashi was definitely in love with konoha's rosette hime .

That their fellow shinobi approved of it.

That they had the blessings of their team mates, and especially the jinchuriki.

And that the hime, had no idea…

That is of course until said konoichi had been summoned to her adoptive father, lord Hyuga's office, and had had the entire situation explained to her by their inner circle(sans Kakashi) in no uncertain terms. Even little Aiko sarutobi, daughter of Asuma, to the amusement of all those present, gave her favourite sister a good dressing down:

" _Kaka-oji san loves Saku-nee chan shoooo much. Saku- nee chan mean to Aiko's oji san! Me no likee any mo! Aiko's poo oji-san! Me wan him happy thooo! Mean nee chan! Make oji san happy! Pleeesh!"_

Of course this meeting had not been made public, so it was much to the surprise of the general public when the sand siblings had made an unofficial visit to the leaf village, and an even greater surprise when Hatake Kakashi was seen lifting a blushing sakura over the threshold of a brand new building to the cheers of their friends. And when, two years later, silver haired, green eyed Katana Hatake took her first breath, the nurses being pushed out the door could have sworn they saw the copy nin cry.

_"Kakashi? Wont you hold her? " Sakura had expected shock, after all, theyd been expecting a boy, but shed never thought he would be so dissapointed that he wouldnt even hold his-_

_"Give her to me." His voice was hoarse._

_"Tsunade give me my daughter." Tsunade pursed her lips but handed over the child none the less. For one long moment father and daughter locked gazes. Then Kakashi fell to his knees, gently cradeling his child __**his daughter, his heir**__._

_"Katana," he choked "her name is Katana."_

_..._

When Sakura was called forward to assist in a new treaty with the newly created Akatsuki, led by Madera Uchiha and her former team mate, the Rokudaime's reaction was to be expected. But it was Kakashi's quite acceptance to let his wife go on the insane mission to revive Itachi Uchiha that took them all by surprise.

In the five years that passed, people slowly ceased questioning the man's decision in face of newer theories.

" It's that Uchiha of course, she's run off with him! Poor man!"

"Revive Itachi indeed! Hah! Even Tsunade couldn't do that!"

Only the inner circle stood by him as he raised his daughter, taking care of his daughter when he was away, never letting the rumour mongers near her.

On their seventh anniversary, when the people of Konoha opened their shops and doors they were again greeted by a surprise visit from the kaze kage and his siblings. It was high noon before all of Konoha knew of the mornings happenings. An emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted sakura had been returned to Konoha. It was evening before they learnt the remaining news: her mission was a success, and the Uchiha brothers had returned.

When a stoic Sasuke Uchiha had announced his intention of visiting his former sensei, all of konoha's heroes had stood by. No one had expected the once proud lord to fall to his knees, begging his sensei's forgiveness, but what had amazed them was how the dangerous copy ninja had welcome his prodigal son with open arms. And when the failing sound village begged Konoha to persuade the only apprentice of the snake San Nin to lead them, it was Kakashi who had persuaded Sasuke to agree, and it was Kakashi, more so than the others, who helped him get everything just right.

When Itachi Uchiha offered to train the new prodigy of the Hatake clan, 7 year old Katana was ecstatic but it was her father who monitored each session and exchange between mentor and disciple with a keen eye.

_"Kakashi is this really neccessary?" Sakura was amused at her husbands antics._

_"Sakura hes an amazing shinobi, I just dont...trust him with her."_

_He looked up a moment later at her laughter. "Im glad you're amused."_

_"Its just, thats what my father said to Kaa-san...about us. Oh you're right, we really need to keep an eye on them."_

_Kakashi groaned. "Not helping." _

…..

When, during the muse wars, 18 year old Katana was shot in the eye by an arrow, it was her father who collected her body from Itachi's trembling arms. And when a weeping Sakura informed the gathered people that her girl had lost her left eye, it was Kakashi who had gone into shock as his pink haired twin sons rushed to comfort their sobbing mother before he collected them all in a crushing embrace.

When a bandaged Katana begged forgiveness for failing her father's expectations, for the first time it was the daughter comforting the father as their friends and the Uchiha brothers looked on. And when Itachi gifted his left eye to his silver haired protégé, it was Kakashi who, with trembling hands, tilted her head band over her new mangekyo, and in silent tones later on, gave the stoic Uchiha his blessings.

_Sakura smiled. "Like mother like daughter, neh?"_

_Kakashi looked up from his daughter's face for the first time in hours. "Hopefully, her husband will be a better guardian than her mothers."_

_Sakura looked at him before taking his face in her hands. "She once told me why she was attracted to Itachi."_

_Kakashi looked at her._

_She smiled. "She said, he reminded her of you. Of your strength. Of the way you hide what you really feel. You're her hero Kakashi. And you are the man I love." _

_Dry sobs shook his frame as she drew him to her._

_"And we will always, always love you."_

When, in the after math of the muse wars, Itachi was married to the second copy ninja of Konoha, and her father gave her away, none of Konoha expected to see the two tears that slid down his masked cheeks. So it was a good thing that only Team Kakashi noticed.

...

Emotional behaviour at the news of the first born grandchild is to be expected, so the nurses thought nothing of the tears sliding down Sakura's smiling face. It was Kakashi's silent sobs raking through his old frame as he was introduced to Obito and Sakumo Uchiha that shook them.

When Minato and Kaito went on their first ANBU mission, he comforted his wife along with his daughter and son in law, both ANBU captains. After all, both boys were trained by the best shinobi, he reasoned. But it was Kakashi that stood watch, unmoving till his tired yet excited sons returned home.

When ANBU captains Minato and Kaito married their blushing sweethearts, Kushina Uzumaki of leaf, and Karin Uchiha of sound, it was Kakashi who surprised them all with a wedding reception that will be remembered throughout the fire nation for centuries.

...

And so, many years later, when Kakashi Hatake finally died, no one was surprised that it was not in a battle field, but in a clean bed surrounded by his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends. With the former Rokudaime Rokage and current pink haired hokage in training at one side of the bed while the Uchiha avenger and the pink haired Hatake matriarch stood at the other side with his daughter and the pink haired lord Hatake. No one was shocked at him dying, not in a battle, but in his own house in the peaceful, war free world he had helped create. And so, that is why, it is to this day that the house of Hatake is revered, and it's sons and daughters are all acclaimed prodigies, loyal shinobi of Konoha. So it is, that to this day, we are amazed by the fruitful harvest of the barren field.


End file.
